Sheikh Hasina

Sheikh Hasina
Name	Sheikh Hasina
Birth date	1947-09-28
Birth place	Gopalganj District, Bengal Presidency
Nationality	Bangladeshi
Occupation	Politician
Office	Prime Minister of Bangladesh
Term start	1996; 2009
Party	Awami League

Sheikh Hasina is a Bangladeshi politician who has served multiple terms as Prime Minister of Bangladesh and as leader of the Awami League. Daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a central figure in the Bangladesh Liberation War and first President of Bangladesh, she has been a dominant figure in Bangladeshi politics for decades, overseeing major infrastructure projects, economic strategies, and diplomatic initiatives while facing domestic controversies and legal challenges.

Early life and family

Born in Gopalganj District in the Bengal Presidency during the late British Raj, she is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib. Her siblings include Sheikh Rehana and extended family members have been active in the Awami League and national administration. The family’s political legacy is tied to events such as the Partition of India, the Language Movement (1952), the Six-Point Movement and the Awami League’s leadership during the pro-independence period preceding the Bangladesh Liberation War. Following the 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état and the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina and Sheikh Rehana lived in exile, during which she engaged with figures from the Indian National Congress, Jatiya Party, and international leaders before returning to Bangladesh in the early 1980s.

Political career

Hasina’s political trajectory includes leadership roles in the Awami League, parliamentary seats for constituencies in Gopalganj District, and electoral contests against figures from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party including Khaleda Zia. She first became Prime Minister following the 1996 general election, engaging with institutions such as the Bangladesh Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad) and coordinating with governors, chief justices like Mahmudul Amin Choudhury and electoral bodies such as the Election Commission (Bangladesh). After a period in opposition during the caretaker administration and political rivalry involving the BNP and coalitions like the Jatiya Oikya Front, she returned to power in 2009 and secured subsequent mandates in 2014 and 2018, interacting with judicial figures such as Surendra Kumar Sinha and parliamentary leaders like Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury.

Governance and policies

Her administrations have advanced major infrastructure projects including the Padma Bridge, the Padma River, the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in collaboration with Rosatom, and transport initiatives connecting to Dhaka, Chittagong and the Padma. Economic agendas involved cooperation with multilateral institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and bilateral partners including India, China, Japan and Saudi Arabia. Social programs have drawn on models linked to Grameen Bank initiatives associated with Muhammad Yunus and development frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals. Security and counterterror initiatives engaged agencies such as the Border Guard Bangladesh, the Rapid Action Battalion, and coordination with the United States Department of State and regional security dialogues involving the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation observer states. Energy, industrialization and digital initiatives intersected with corporations and consortia from China National Nuclear Corporation, Indian Oil Corporation, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and private conglomerates like BEXIMCO.

Domestic controversies and opposition

Her tenure has been marked by contentious episodes including charges of political suppression involving arrest campaigns against members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and allied groups such as Jamaat-e-Islami. High-profile prosecutions used tribunals addressing events like the 1971 Bangladesh genocide trials, drawing scrutiny from international bodies including the United Nations Human Rights Council and advocacy organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Elections in 2014 and 2018 prompted critiques from observers like the European Union Election Observation Mission and statements from diplomatic missions including Embassy of the United States, Dhaka, while domestic protests involved stakeholder groups such as student movements at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and political alliances like the Jatiya Oikya Front. Governance controversies overlapped with judicial matters involving High Court Division of Bangladesh rulings and debates about constitutional amendments tied to institutions such as the Constitution of Bangladesh.

Foreign relations and diplomacy

Hasina has pursued active diplomacy with regional actors such as India, China, Myanmar, and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (through summit interactions), while engaging with global powers including the United States, Russia, and the European Union. Her government managed the humanitarian and diplomatic dimensions of the Rohingya refugee crisis following mass displacement from Rakhine State in Myanmar, collaborating with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration, and donor states like Japan and United Kingdom. She has overseen bilateral energy and connectivity agreements with India including riverine protocols on the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna basin and strategic dialogues with China over infrastructure financing. Multilateral engagement has included participation in forums such as the United Nations General Assembly, the Commonwealth of Nations summits, and climate diplomacy at the Conference of the Parties meetings under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Personal life and honours

She is married to M. A. Wazed Miah and is mother to Sajeeb Wazed Joy and others; family members have taken roles in public life and business. Her personal biography intersects with institutions like Dhaka University (alumni and events) and international recognitions, having received honors and state awards from countries including India (Padma-related engagements), China (state visits), Japan and regional bodies within South Asia. She has been the recipient of honorary degrees and awards from universities and organizations such as institutions in Bangladesh and foreign universities, and has met global leaders including Narendra Modi, Barack Obama, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Theresa May during state visits and multilateral conferences.

Category:Prime Ministers of Bangladesh Category:Awami League politicians Category:1947 births Category:Living people